Shipper recommendations

[58limited]

I tried to search the site for old threads where shippers who will package and pick up items are mentioned. The few references I found are for shippers who are apparently no longer in business. I found a trunk lid for my '68 Ford Galaxie 500 and the seller will not ship, but said that he would meet a shipping service at his house for pick-up. The trunk lid will need to be packaged, probably just bubble wrapping or blanket wrapping will suffice as long as nothing heavy is stacked on it.

 

Anyone know of any companies they can recommend? Craters and Freighters wants $489.00, which seems high to me. This item only weighs about 50 lbs and is 57" X 41" X 11"

 

[launderess]

Have Had Good Luck With U-Ship

If the seller is willing to pack/wrap properly U-Ship can work. Just make sure to choose someone with high positive ratings/feedback.

C&F's prices can seem like highway robbery, but you also get what you pay for. Rarely hear reports of damage and so forth from those using that service.

 

[58limited]

Unfortunately, the seller isn't willing to do too much. I know the packaging part is going to greatly affect the price, but I want to get a few more bids.

 

[yogitunes]

I have used Youcrate.com......not bad pricing, getting high ltely with gas prices rising....no complaints at all........but yeah the seller would have to wrap it and place it in the pallet box

but check around there are a few guys who do it privately, and will wrap and handle with great care.....for about the same price..........some will ship to a warehouse for you to pickup there, can be a little cheaper, if you have one in your area......I will look and see if I still have their numbers....

 

[yogitunes]

OR....google......shipping companies.....mainly look for freight movers

 

[stainfighter]

personal exp with C&F...

agree with Launderess. We have used them twice; both times the items were super-wrapped with bubble wrapped, the box they literally cut and formed to fit our TT washer and customized a pallet for the base (which was so sturdy/overbuilt we decided to keep it and use as a platform). If the trunk lid is mint it might be worth the investment, knowing that it will be fully protected in shipment to you.

 

[3beltwesty]

RE "Craters and Freighters wants $489.00, which seems high to me. This item only weighs about 50 lbs and is 57" X 41" X 11"

You leave out many details.

Is this the cost to crate and ship; or just to crate.

You do not mention where the seller is, thus part of that 489 might be the cost to truck the crate from Maine to Texas.

You do not mention if you need a lift gate at your end. That 50Lb lid might be in a giant wooden crate so the total weight is large. Adding a lift gate adds 50 to 80 bucks.

Trucking fees for a palleted item have many variables. The weight, the volume, the risk of breakage, the risk of theft too, the risk of getting lanced by a forktruck.

For my own businesses items we buy via truck, the last shipment had a 29 PERCENT surcharge for fuel costs. A palleted pallet that has zero weight still costs about 80 to 100 bucks for items as close as Texas. A recent pallet that was 340 Lbs cost 236 dollars; last year/fall it was only about 150 for the same stuff.

If I guess that hood is say in Missouri and the crated crate and hood might be 75 to 110 Lb with the crate bottom. Just to ship this to Texas might be 120 bucks; say 170 to 200 since no mention was about lift gates.

Thus 200 of that 489 is pure freight cost; the 289 is the crating and insurance. Just to have a chap arrive so for washer repairs is 80 bucks; so 209 is really the cost to make a custom crate on the spot.

You can always twist the arm of the seller and have them make a poor crate and thus you might get a bent hood and thus have to play with Bondo!

Not everyone knows how to make a proper crate. Almost 1/2 of that 489 cost is just the freight and lift gate fee. Thus if you pay the seller 100 for crummy crate; the item might get ruined and you have little recourse with the truckers.

 

[weed30]

They don't service every state, but TSC moving is pretty reasonable. They do blanket wrap. Because they are just filling open space in a truck that's already headed your way, you might have to wait a week or three for delivery. I had two bachelor's chests (35" x 32" x 18" each, solid wood and pretty heavy) shipped from Pennsylvania to St. Louis for $219.00.

My latest purchase is a solid wood bedroom set, which includes:

One Dresser 64 Inches Width, 18 Inches Depth, 29 Inches Height
One Beveled Glass Mirror 50 Inches Width, 33 Inches Height
Two Chests 38 Inches Width, 18 Inches Depth, 41 Inches Height
One Desk 44 Inches Width, 18 Inches Depth, 29 Inches Height
One Full/Double Size Head Board 56 Inches Width, 8 Inches Depth, 36 Inches Height

Blanket wrap shipping for all of that from Florida to St. Louis is $520.00.

They are very nice to deal with, and you could probably ask them to use double blankets to ensure safety. They deliver with a box truck, and will put it in your garage or wherever for you.

http://www.tscmoving.com/

 

[launderess]

Go With A Good Shipper Or Go Get It Yourself!

*LOL*

That is my story, and am sticking to it!

Past few years have seen too many fingers burned mine's included by using poor quality shippers. This includes everything from UPS or FedEx to U-Ship. Ironically have had few problems with USPS for national and international shipping, go figure.

First and foremost it comes down to whom is preparing the item for shipment. Unless the thing is done correctly no matter who shifts it there is a chance for damage. Too many eBay sellers for instance cheap out on packing materials and or doing the job right, and the result is damage. Large and or heavy items such as vintage microwave ovens, printers,entertainemnt equipment and so forth should be double boxed, and or fitted with styrofoam. Fragile bits like glass doors, trays etc should *NOT* be left attached (if they are designed to be removed), but wrapped and packed accordingly. In short an item should be backed the way it would come in it's original box.

U-Ship can work if a seller or persons doing the transport is willing to do decent packing. However for things that one holds dear and or cannot be replaced I'd bite the bullet and go for C&F or similar blanket wrapped moving/shipping company as outlined above.

You can save money by using a cheaper service, but if the item arrives damaged what happens then? If the thing is "new" and or still can be found (or at least parts), then perhaps it isn't that bad. However vintage or rare items are another matter.

With large shipping companies such as FedEx and UPS they factor damage claims into the cost of doing business. For the thousands of packages moved daily am quite sure there is a "number" percentage wise allowed for damage claims. Even there UPS at least has some strict requirements before paying out. If the item wasn't properly packed (as listed in their TOS), then you'll likely get nothing. Also few persons bother taking more than the standard insurance, which means the most you can get is $100.

FexEx ground I have problems with because unlike UPS it is not a total in house thing. FedEx never had a ground service, and cobbled it together by purchasing DHL and several others, however it remains not very tightly linked to FedEx's main division. Indeed you can purchase a FedEx ground franchaise to cover a certain area.

 

[3beltwesty]

GOOD ADVICE!

RE

"First and foremost it comes down to whom is preparing the item for shipment. Unless the thing is done correctly no matter who shifts it there is a chance for damage. Too many eBay sellers for instance cheap out on packing materials and or doing the job right, and the result is damage. Large and or heavy items such as vintage microwave ovens, printers,entertainemnt equipment and so forth should be double boxed, and or fitted with styrofoam. Fragile bits like glass doors, trays etc should *NOT* be left attached (if they are designed to be removed), but wrapped and packed accordingly. In short an item should be backed the way it would come in it's original box. "
a

Here I bought a giant 1970's Cola 30x40x6 inch clock as a replacement for a friends that has a bad motor

The ebays listed shipping was 68 bucks, the auction was only 30, my total was 98.

The clock came in damaged so bad that my UPS driver did not even want to deliver it. ie broken 3 foot lamps, broken crystal, hole through clock face.

I really just wanted the motor and ballast/frame; thus I accepted it. It was a hard call. The rare motor is about 157 dollars on the net. I have been on ebay looking for 2 years for this item and all sales are in the way higher range. Yes I could get all my money back, but then I would have no motor, clock hands and other parts I need to fix another clock.

The clock's ballast/frame's screws were loose, this broke the giant clear clocks crystal. The seller with all that 65 bucks did not double box it, they did not even have a few sheets of cardboard. The fault was about 3/4 seller and 1/4 UPS. The item was so poorly prepared that any shipper would have ruined it.

Similar exact clocks sell for 280 to 400 on ebay; thus I am still ok. If I sold that clock; I would had cut two 1/4" 30x40" pieces of plywood to protect the sides, instead of just "hoping" that it will be ok

 

[goatfarmer]

Maybe an ad here.

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www.ytmag.com

 

[58limited]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I decided to use TSC Movers. They are licensed, bonded, insured and have a good reputation. I bought the part and finalized shipping arrangements, now I just have to wait from a week to six weeks depending on their scheduling.

 

3beltwesty, you're right, I didn't include all of the information, partly because I've never done this before and didn't know about liftgate fees, etc. I don't know if that was in the first quote I got from C & F, they didn't say. I had to figure the cost of buying and shipping this versus the cost of buying the part from a parts yard closer to me and picking it up. I found two within 100 miles, but it ended up being cheaper to buy the one on ebay and pay TSC Movers (plus, the ebay part is much nicer). It would have cost more to use Craters and Freighters, however. I have had other car  parts shipped to me by Greyhound bus and by truck freight, I've just never arranged it myself.  These parts are generally bubble wrapped and that is it. The trunk lid is too big for the bus. If this was something fragile I would definitely pay for crating, but I don't think this part needs it.

 

Most sellers are willing to at least take the part to the shipping point, but not this seller. He was very nice, just didn't want to make the effort (borrow a truck and make time around his work schedule - a family member will have to meet the shipper at home).

 

A few years ago, Craters and Freighters gave me what I thought was a great quote to ship an O&M Aristocrat with vent hood from Beverly Hills to Port Arthur, but I lost the ebay auction - it was from Fred Astaire's house. I don't remember the exact quote but thought it was reasonable for such a large item.

 

[58limited]

I received the trunk lid today and it is in great shape, a very nice car part. Thanks again for the advice, everyone.